mgdzkm433:

1. Your grandfather are you sure he was type 1. 'Cuz back in the old days, if you were under a certain age, like 30, and had diabetes, they usually called it juvenile onset. That happened to a cousin of mine. He had always been a big guy his entire life. When he was 25 he was diagnosed with diabetes. But because he was "soooo" young, the doctor's stated it was type 1. Everyone else in my family has type 2--even his mother!!! So IMHO, I really am skeptically about his diagnosis that was made 25 years ago... Also, current research suggests that more clinically obese children at the ages of 10 yrs. old are getting type 2 diabetes!!! So it's possible to have type 2, rather than type 1 when one is much younger than that observed...

I guess you already know the difference. But for other out there, type 1 diabetes is the autoimmune disease were your immune system kills off your pancreas. Also, since your pancreas is killed then insulin could be seen as a foreign substance that further exacerbates the problem.

Whereas, type 2 diabetes your pancreatic cells aren't immediately dying however for some reason, you don't make enough insulin from the pancreas to remove the glucose from your blood. So the glucose builds up in your blood, muscles and fat cells.
Doctors tell the difference between type 1 and 2 because in type 1 one has antibodies in the blood against the pancreas, whereas there aren't any "autoantibodies" observable in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Either way both patients eventually develop insulin resistance. Where the body does not respond to any amount of insulin no matter how high glucose levels get. And this resistance happens even if one injects insulin.

I believe I'm going to look stupid here.

My father takes insulin injections because his pancrease makes NO insulin at all. I thought that was type 2. (He actually was put on a insulin pump in December that automatically gives him a injection every 3 minutes)

My grandfather and aunt both controlled by diet because their pancrease still made insulin, but not enough. I thought that was type 1.

Until a few years ago, I thought all diabetes was the same--no types. I really am not very educated on diabetes, I probably should be, but I really only know the basics--like how to take care of someone when their blood sugar gets low, what signs to look for, etc. I know how to work his insulin pump and how to check his blood sugar with that little machine he has (glocometer?).

I guess I have them backwards, my father has type one and my grandfather and aunt had/have type two.

My grandfather was not diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, he was diagnosed with it only several years before he died. He was suffering from low blood circulation (and ended up having to have one of his legs amputated about a year before he died). That's when they diagnosed him.

My aunt was just diagnosed this past fall. She's in her 40's.

mgdzkm433,

Did you father have diabetes when he was a boy? That's how you tell if it was "juvenile-onset" or "type 1" or "insulin dependent" diabetes mellitus. If he did, then lost his ability to make insulin, then I'm unsure if that really happens medically. Rather in the case of your grandfather and aunt, they have too much blood glucose and don't make enough insulin to handle the load...

I went to the American Diabetes Association webpage and pulled some info:

"There are two main kinds of diabetes. You have insulin-dependent diabetes. It is also called Type I diabetes. It used to be called juvenile diabetes (even though adults get it too)."

--This is where my father falls. I had them backwards. I thought type 2 was insulin-dependant.

"Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. When you eat, your body turns your food into glucose (sugar) to use as fuel. In healthy people, a hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into the cells.

But in people with type 2 diabetes, something goes wrong. Sometimes, a person does not make enough insulin. Sometimes,cells ignore the insulin."

--this is where my grandfather fell and where my aunt now falls under. Right now she controls this by diet. In the future she might need to take pills.

"Sixteen million Americans have diabetes - one in three does not know it!"

--I thought this was an interesting fact.






[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited March 23, 2001).]

I was an Alpha Phi Omega at NW MO. State. I am a Brother of LXA. While there are rules about joing other FRA/SORO, this has nothing to do with Service Organizations. While At NW Mo, our main sevice was to push a phyisically handicapped person around campus to her classes. It was one of the most rewarding things of my life. I still cosider myself a member of this organization!!
It comes down to the fact, that ALL GREEKS must stick together!! We overall are having Problems NO matter WHO

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)